GoPro HERO12 Black frozen or not turning on: how to reset it
A frozen or dead HERO12 Black is usually a drained battery, a problem SD card or a firmware glitch. GoPro's own fixes go from a quick battery pull to a factory reset.
Unplug the cable, take out the SD card, remove the battery for about five seconds, put it back and press the Mode button. If the camera is on but stuck, take out the SD card and hold Mode for 10 seconds. Still misbehaving? Update the firmware and reformat the card, then try a factory reset from Preferences.
1. Pull the battery: Unplug any cable and take out the microSD card. Remove the battery, wait about five seconds, slot it back in and press the Mode button. This clears most freezes.
2. Charge it from a wall socket: If nothing happens, connect the camera to a wall charger with a USB-C cable and watch the front light. A fully drained battery may need several minutes before the camera responds. Try another cable or charger if there is no sign of life.
3. Force a reset with the Mode button: If the camera is on but frozen, take out the SD card and hold the Mode button for 10 seconds. The camera should shut down so you can start it fresh.
4. Test with another SD card: A failing or fake card can freeze the camera. Try a brand-name card rated V30 or UHS-3 or faster, then format it in the camera before recording.
5. Update the firmware: Connect the camera to the GoPro Quik app on your phone and install any update. You can also update by hand: download the HERO12 update from GoPro, copy the UPDATE folder to the root of the SD card, insert it and power on. Charge the battery well before you start.
6. Factory reset as a last step: From the main screen, swipe down, then swipe left and go to Preferences > Reset > Factory Reset > Reset. GoPro says this returns settings to how they were out of the box while keeping the latest firmware.
